


What Sets You Free?

by Eclectic_Nerd



Category: GOT7, Markjin - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, M/M, slow start, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 09:49:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17958218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eclectic_Nerd/pseuds/Eclectic_Nerd
Summary: A new intern named BamBam starts at Tuan Imports. BamBam is sassy, smartassy and sarcastic. He is everything that Mark is not. BamBam helps Mark to realize that it is okay to go after what you want.





	What Sets You Free?

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the slowness of this story at the beginning. This story was based on a dream I had and I thought it would make a good story. Needless to say, the details were clear as day in my head but I had a tough time getting those details into words on a page. I hope a few people can appreciate this and if you make if through the story, thank you for reading this. As always, Got7 makes me soft...my little muffins. Keep on supporting these wonderful men.

Mark liked things quiet and he liked things relatively calm. Well, as calm as things could be having certain people in his life. Little did he know, this was about to change. His life was about to be shaken, definitely not stirred.

He was in his office that looked out at the Han River staring at his computer monitor. He’s a junior shipping/trade manager at his family’s international shipping/trading company. His family was big in the fair trade market and had contacts from all over the world. There was a knock on the door that broke his concentration.

“Come in!” he called. His door opened and in walked his assistant Taewon who was followed by an extremely skinny and lanky young man. This young man seemed to consist of mostly legs. He was dressed in yellow and black plaid pants with a black dress shirt and a tie that matched his pants. His black dress shoes were polished to a shine. His black hair was short on the sides and longer on top. It was parted in a way that made his bangs hang in his eyes at times, which he would dismiss with a quick toss of his head. 

“Mark, I’d like to introduce you to...give me moment to make sure that I get this correct.” Taewon paused before he spoke again, “Kunpimook Bhuwakul, your new intern. Kunpimook, meet Mark Tuan.” Taewon looked pleased that he was able to pronounce his name.

“Welcome and nice to meet you.” Mark reached out his right hand. The lanky boy gave Mark a surly look but shook his hand. His surliness threw Mark off, which resulted in an awkward silence for a moment before Taewon cheerfully broke it.

“Can I get you anything before I go?”

“No thank you.” Mark turned to Kunpimook. “Unless you need something?” He shook his head a Mark’s inquiry.

“Very good. I’ll have the numbers to you before lunch.”

“Thanks Tae!” Taewon flashed him a big smile. Taewon was as meticulous as he was cheerful. He made his way out of the office and just as he was about to close the door, it was pushed open by a one Jackson Wang.

“Morning Mark!’ He said cheerfully and before waiting for a reply, Jackson squealed and said in English. “Who is this new cutie?”

Kunpimook huffed as Mark replied in Korean. “My new intern. Jackson Wang, may I introduce you to…”

“Bam Bam” the boy quickly said. “I prefer to be called BamBam.” He further explained in English.  
“Ooooh! He speaks English, too!” Jackson excitedly exclaimed. 

Mark ignored him. “As in Flintstones?”

“Yes and you better not have a joke about Bedrock or Pebbles.” He warned and tensed up.

“I wasn’t going to go there.” Mark reassured him and BamBam visually relaxed. 

“Well, I suppose I’ll let you get acquainted and start your training.” Jackson walked towards the door but turned back to them and said, “Welcome aboard BamBam.” Without waiting for a reply, he practically bounced out the door.

“Another cheerful soul? It’s too early for this.” BamBam grumbled.

Mark chuckled. “You get used to it and learn to ignore a lot of it.”

BamBam looked at Mark incredulously. “What does he do here?”

Jackson is a salesperson for our products that we import and he’s one of the best.”

“People probably buy from him to get him to stop talking.”

Mark looked at him and said, “Yeah, maybe. He’s a great guy though and a good friend. He’s originally from Hong Kong but decided to study abroad in Korea and he hasn’t left yet. We started as interns at the same time and have been friends ever since.”

“That’s one reason why I wanted to intern here. I heard you decided to start at the bottom and work your way up. You worked for what you have and that’s respectable.” BamBam replied. Mark had a surprised look on his face as it was the longest he heard him speak and it was by far the nicest this he said since he has been here.

Mark’s parents were originally from Taiwan but had moved to LA to open up a branch of Tuan’s Imports. Mark was born and raised there until the summer before his senior year of high school. His grandfather asked Papa Tuan to go to South Korea to help with the branch that had just opened up there. Mark had wanted to stay in LA to finish school but his Mom wanted him with them and in the end, she won. Eight years later, he was still here. He was guaranteed a job at the company but he told his Dad that he wanted to start as an intern to make sure that he was cut out for it. He was a natural of course, practically born into the business and he quickly progressed.

Mark shook off the surprise of BamBam’s compliment and showed him to his desk. He then gave him a quick tour of the floor that he was going to be on and introduced him to the staff that worked on it. When they returned to his office, Mark started to explain the work and before they knew it, it was time for lunch.

“I’m famished. Ready for lunch?” Mark asked BamBam.

“I could eat.” He replied as there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.” In walked Taewon. “I have those numbers for you hyung.” He handed a USB drive to Mark. Mark tried to cut down on the amount of paper they used in the office so things were saved on USB drives and printed only when needed. 

“Thanks Tae!” Mark once again smiled at him. Taewon smiled even bigger. “But you better go or you’ll keep Jian waiting.” He teased.

Taewon’s smiled slipped slightly and he blushed. “She’ll be okay...I mean, why would she wait for me?” He stuttered.

“Ha! Caught you!”

Taewon blushed even harder. “No fair, hyung!” But he laughed. “I’ll see you later. Have a good lunch BamBam.” He had been told of BamBam’s name preference. They watched him walk away.

“What’s that about?” BamBam questioned.

Mark made a shall we go gesture and they both walked to the door. Tuan Imports has a cafeteria that was popular with the employees so that is where they were headed. As they waited for the elevator, Mark answered his question from earlier.

“Jian works with Jackson in sales. She’s a few years older than Tae but she had her sights set on him the day I hired him. She says that they have something but he denies it. We all know the truth but we like to pick on him.”

“You like drama?” BamBam asked.

“It’s not really drama…” Mark started to explain but he was saved by the bell, the elevator bell signalling that they reached the first floor. The door opened and they stepped out of the elevator.

“Welcome to ‘The Kitchen’.” Mark looked at BamBam’s amazed expression. “Great, isn’t it?” All Bam Bam can do is nod. ‘The Kitchen’ was truly a sight to behold. It had everything that you could ever want with the cozy feeling of being in a kitchen at home. Mark’s family really believed in treating their employees right. A well-fed staff was a happy staff.

“You can close your mouth, wipe the drool off your chin and pop your eyes back in.” BamBam shook his head as if to clear his head and it kind of reminded Mark of a dog. “On the right are the food stations that are always around. We have the salad bar, the breakfast station and the comfort foods such as kimbab, bibimbap, french fries, pizza, etc. But you also can order off the menu or have the daily special.”

“This place makes me want to cry it’s so beautiful. Oh...I just realized that I need to go back to get my wallet. I know that I read in my paperwork that a food pass will be deducted from your paycheck every month but since I do not get paid, I will have to pay.” BamBam explained.

“Hold on, I knew I forgot to give you something. Tae had handed me this when I got to work this morning.” Mark reached into his pocket and handed BamBam a card that looked like a bus pass. “We really need to update the internship paperwork to include explain this. This is all you need. My family wants everyone to have a good meal so we always give our interns a free food pass since you do not get paid. Our little way of thanking you for your work.”

“Oh...cool, thanks!” BamBam’s face broke into a big smile and it softened his features. Mark saw that it was charming.

“No worries. I know what I want so I’m going to get my food. Feel free to join me after you decide what you want.” Mark took off to get a little bit of salad so if his Mom asked if he was eating well, he could say he was. Mark didn’t like to lie. He then made a beeline for the comfort food station and grabbed a few slices of pizza and some cheesy breadsticks. He then went to the table that was near the window. The employees would often sit with their direct co-workers but they sometimes sat with others from different floors. Although Mark was well liked by the staff, they tended to give him some space during lunch. He walked by Taewon on the way to his table and greeted him and Jian. 

He sat down and tucked into his salad. About five minutes later he was joined by BamBam, who like Mark, had some pizza and french fries. 

“This looks so delicious.” BamBam exclaimed.

“It is. You’ll like…” Mark was interrupted by a loud voice.

“Markiepooh!” Jackson shouted as he made his way over to the table and sat down.

Mark just kind of blushed and groaned. Even though people knew Jackson was loud, they still stared when he shouted things like this.

“Ooooohhh and the new interny! Hello BamBam.” Jackson gushed.

BamBam took one look a Mark and felt bad. “Markiepooh?”  
“Yup. It’s a combination of Mark and Winnie the Pooh.” Jackson’s face broke out into a huge smile and he laughed, quite loudly.

“Bro, he’s a grown man.” BamBam started to say.

“It’s alright, Jackson is special.” Mark tried to make it a joke.

“But you don’t like it.”

“I don’t mind it, I just don’t like how loud he is.”

“Yeah interny...Mark loves me.” Jackson guffawed again. “Maybe I should get you some sugar for your pizza.” As BamBam reached for the salt.

Bam Bam looked at his quizzically. “We need to sweeten you up and make you less salty.

BamBam tutted at Jackson but Jackson having a thick skin just ignored him and addressed Mark. “Did you get the newest message from Jinyoung?”

“I haven’t had a chance to look at my phone this morning.” Mark answered as he grabbed his phone out of his pocket. “We have a gig?” He asked.

“Apparently we do. Jinyoung got the call late last night and decided that we needed to have practice tonight instead of our usual time.”

Mark and Jackson exchanged high fives. “Practice? Are you guys in a band?” BamBam asked.

“A group, not really a band. We sing, rap and dance.” Jackson explained.

“Like K-pop idols?” Bam Bam questioned.

Both Mark and Jackson sighed. “Yeah, kind of like that.” Mark answered. “There are six of us in the group. Me, Jackson and our friends, Jinyoung, Jaebeom, Youngjae and Yugyeom.”

[Start flashback]When Mark moved to Korea, he had met Jinyoung when he was walking in a park practicing his Korean. He sat down on a bench that was occupied by a guy his age reading a book. Mark was whispering to himself when the guy put his book down.

“I’m sorry...am I disturbing you?” Mark stammered out in his basic Korean.

“No, I was just wondering what you are doing.” The boy replied.

“I have been learning your language so I am practicing.”  
“Oh. The best way to learn is to talk with someone who speaks the language.”

Mark looked down at his feet and said. “I just moved here a few weeks ago so I don’t know anyone yet.” His parents had him start intensive Korean lessons when they found out about the move as they told him that he would be attending a Korean school.

“My name is Jinyoung.” The boy said slowly in English and reached out his hand.

“I’m Mark.” Mark said and shook his hand.

“There, now you know me so you can practice with me. I will help you with Korean and you can help me with English.”

The two boys met each other every chance they could get and by the time school started, Mark was pretty fluent in Korean. He also learned that he was going to be attending the same school as Jinyoung. Jinyoung had introduced Mark to his good friend Jaebeom. Mark and Jaebeom became good friends as well. They were both a year younger than Mark but he felt good starting a new school knowing a few people. He also got to know Youngjae, who lived in the same neighborhood as Jaebeom and Yugyeom, who lived next door to Jinyoung. The boys became fast friends and were always together. [End flashback]

“The group was formed when two friends of mine for a ninth grade class project had partnered up and formed JJP (Jaebeom/Jinyoung Project). The staff and classmates all liked their act so they decided to enter a talent contest. They won so they decided to focus on doing more with it. When I moved here, they had added Youngjae and Yugyeom. Youngjae is an amazing singer and Yugyeom can sing well but he’s an amazing dancer. They decided they needed a rapper so when they found out I had a talent for it, I was recruited. When I met Jackson, I found out that he could rap and sing so I brought him along to meet the guys and they decided that he could stay. We are known right now as ‘The Six’ until we can come up with a better name.”

“You guys rap?” BamBam seemed excited.

“Yes, why?” Jackson asked.

“I’m a rapper, too!” BamBam exclaimed. “The other reason that I came to Korea for my internship is that I grew up watching Rain. My Mom loves him so to make her happy, I learned his songs. I don’t have a great talent for singing but I can rap.”

“Hmmm...maybe you can come to practice tonight and show us what you got.” Jackson said and he looked a Mark, who nodded.

“Really?” BamBam asked.

“Why not? It never hurts to give someone a tryout.” Mark agreed. His cell phone suddenly chimed with a text notification and he checked it. “Yugyeomie needs a ride so I can pick you up as you are not staying to far from where he is. He’s the same age as you.” Mark answered his text and sent out a few more to let the others know about the plan.

“Alright, man! I cannot wait.” Mark was surprised as he had not seen BamBam smile this much. The guys finished up their lunches and said goodbye to Jackson. BamBam even stopped baring his teeth to him and was cordial.

The rest of the afternoon flew by and before they knew it, it was time to go.

“I’ll pick you up at 7:00. Do you want me to come up to get you or text you when I’m there?”

“I’ll be waiting but I will give you my number so I can text you if something happens.”

Mark sent himself a text from BamBam’s phone and then saved the number into his contact list. He looked at the kid and realized that he was going to be a good person to have in his life. Sure he was a little brash and came across as cold but he knew what he liked and didn’t like.

Mark had time to run home and grab a quick bite to eat before he was back in his vehicle to pick up Yugyeom. Yugyeom was tall with black hair that sometimes made him look like a mushroom. He had a gentle voice but could be extremely sassy. He was the maknae of the group and he knew he was adored. Mark especially spoiled him. Mark arrived at his apartment and rang the doorbell. As soon as the the door was unlocked and he stepped in he was swept up in a big hug.

“Hyung!” Yugyeom beamed at him. Yugyeom, because of his height, sometimes looked older than his friends but when he smiled and laughed, he had apple cheeks and looked his age. Mark looked at him adoringly.

“It’s good to see you, too Yugi!”

“What’s this about you bringing someone new tonight?” He asked when he let go of Mark.

“He’s my new intern and he said that he was a rapper. He kind of scares me so I don’t want to get on his bad side.” Mark confessed as he swept his hands through his hair.

Yugyeom laughed and said, “I’ll protect you hyung.” He put on his shoes and they left the apartment. As they they were walking to Mark’s car, Yugyeom filled him in on the past few days that they hadn’t seen each other.

“So I told my teacher that I don’t think that I’m the problem…” Yugyeom was finishing his story as they got into the car.

“Oh boy, I’m sure that wasn’t too well received.”

“No, she kicked me out of class and told me to come back when I have a better attitude and I told her that I pay her so she needs a better attitude.”

“Yugyeom…”

“Now I’m looking for a new dance teacher.” He sighed in frustration.

Mark was about to launch into a lecture but looked at Yugyeom’s sweet face and couldn’t do it. He patted his knee and said instead, “I’ll help you.”

Yugyeom’s face brightened and he said, “You’re the best!”

Mark always melted when Yugyeom smiled like that. “Yeah, well...what are hyung’s for if not to help out?”

Before Yugyeom could reply Mark announced that they were in front of BamBam’s apartment and true to his word, he was waiting for Mark outside. Mark rolled down his window and called his name. Bam Bam walked to the car and got in the back.

“Hi Mark. Is the big bird Yugyeom?”

“Who are you calling big bird, you flamingo?” Yugyeom turned around to glare at BamBam. Mark tensed up as he does not like confrontation or fighting.

BamBam smiled and burst out laughing, which in turn made Yugyeom smile and laugh. “Flamingo, that’s a good one. I have never heard that one.”

Mark let out the breath that he was holding. “BamBam this is Yugyeom, Yugyeom this is BamBam.”

The rest of the car ride consisted of the two youngest coming up with ways to insult each other. They had hit it off and became fast friends. Twenty minutes later they arrived at the studio that they rented for practice. Mark parked the car. They got out and made their way inside. They were the first ones there so he flipped on all the lights and turned on the equipment. A few minutes later, Youngjae arrived with Jackson.

“Hi Mark! Hi Yugyeom! Hi BamBam!” Jackson hollered.

Yugyeom went over to give Jackson a hug. “Hi Jacks!” Mark answered.

“Hi Mark hyung!” Youngjae said as he walked up to him, smiling his big smile.

“Hi Jae!” Mark gave the smiling guy a big hug. Youngjae was the one that was usually always happy like Jackson but not as annoying as Jackson. He reminded them of an otter when he smiled. He called BamBam over. “BamBam, this is Youngjae. Youngjae this is BamBam.”

“Nice to meet you.” Youngjae cheerfully said.

“Another cheerful soul…” Bam Bam once again mumbled under his breath in English but then said, “Nice to meet you, too.”

“Mark hyung mentioned that you are from Thailand. How are you finding Korea so far?” Youngjae asked him.

“It’s been great so far, meeting new people, especially the overgrown mushroom.” BamBam tilted his head in Yugyeom’s direction. Youngjae looked surprised and Mark rolled his eyes.

“Pssshhh...as if I wanted to meet a giant praying mantis.” Yugyeom said back.

Bam Bam chuckled and reached his hand out for a fist bump. “Good one man.”

Mark looked at Youngjae’s confused face and explained “They communicate by insulting each other. They are two peas in a pod and frankly, it scares me out of my mind.” Mark whispered the last part, which made Youngjae laugh his big open mouth laugh. 

Youngjae and Mark spent the next few minutes chatting and catching up with each other.

“So I have a new student...a seven year old boy and he is really good.” Youngjae gave singing lessons to help pay for college.

Mark was about to ask about the boy when he was interrupted by Jinyoung and Jaebeom arguing.

“Hyung, you totally had pink bangs. You had blonde hair with pink bangs.” Jinyoung was saying.

“I remember the blonde hair but not the pink bangs.” Jaebeom replied.

JInyoung realized that everyone was staring at them. “Hey guys!” He walked up to BamBam with a big smile on his face that made his eye crinkle up and said, “You must be BamBam. I’m Jinyoung. Nice to meet you.” He reached out his hand to shake.

Bam Bam said sarcastically under his breath in English, “What gave that away?” In Korean he replied, “Yes, I am.” He shook Jinyoung’s hand and was surprised when Jinyoung leaned in closer and whispered to him in English, “Hey, watch it.” He let go of his hand and stepped back. BamBam knew that he had to be on his best behavior in front of Jinyoung.

“I’m Jaebeom. Welcome to the asylum.” BamBam gave a quick bob of his head in acknowledgement as he was still watching Jinyoung who dressed like a prep and had the air of a prince. Jinyoung made a beeline for Mark but was stopped by Jackson.

“Hey Park gae!”

“Hey Jackson.” He replied. Jackson looked at him and pouted. Jinyoung sighed but then he laughed. “How are you Wang gae?”

Jackson was giddy and threw his arms around Jinyoung who to BamBam’s surprise, returned the hug.

Jackson finally let go of Jinyoung. He finally made his way to Mark’s side and put his arm around Mark comfortably as they chatted for a little bit.

“Okay guys...should we take care of some business?” Jaebeom loudly asked.

The noise quieted down and they all looked at him. “Business? Are we having a meeting?” Jackson teased JB.

“Wang gae.” Jinyoung warned him. Much BamBam’s surprise again, Jackson looked at JB and said, “Sorry hyung. Tell us what you need.”

“I was thinking that we should hear what BamBam’s got and then get to setting up our set list for the gig.”

They all looked at BamBam expectedly. BamBam tossed his hair and found himself to be nervous but instead of showing it, he put his intense rap face on.

“Okay. I can do that.” For the next ten minutes, BamBam hit them with some of his best lyrics. The atmosphere of the practice room almost felt like a competition show, like No Mercy. 

“Can you give us a few moments to talk BamBam?” JB asked him.

BamBam nods his head and he walks to the other end of the room. He could hear their whispering. He suddenly decided that he wanted to be a part of this. He like the friendship these guys had with each other.

Mark broke his thoughts. “BamBam? You can come back over now.”  
He thought that they all looked serious and steeled himself for a letdown. He didn’t want to break his composure and let them know how much he wanted in.

“Now, you might not be able to learn all the songs for the gig right away but maybe there are a few songs that you can memorize.” Jaebeom said. “As long as Mark and Jackson will be willing to give you a few of their lines.

“You can share my lines with me, BamBam.” Mark offered.

“Me, too. I’ll share some of mine.” Jackson agreed.

“We’ll have to get you the lyric sheets and you guys will have to figure that stuff out.” Jinyoung said.

“You don’t have a lot of time to learn all the moves so you’ll have to focus on the songs that you will be memorizing.” Yugyeom chimed in. “Wait...you can dance, right?”

BamBam suddenly realized that he was being included. “What?” They are laughed.

“I guess instead of talking at you, we should have offered you a spot in our group first. What do you think BamBam? Would you like to be in this group?” Jaebeom asked.

BamBam’s heart was pounding in joy but outwardly he feigned nonchalance. “That would be cool.”

The rest of them cheered. “Now we’ll definitely need a new name since there are seven of us.” Youngjae pouted at the idea of having to come up with a new name since they could not agree on anything. ‘The Six’ was just temporary.

“Yeah, now you got seven.” BamBam said in English for some reason.

“Say that again.” Jinyoung requested.

“I didn’t mean to say it in English.” BamBam started protesting.

“I don’t care about that but did you say got seven?”

“Yes…” BamBam sighed.

“Got seven...got seven. I like it.” Jaebeom mused.

“Me, too. We can stylize it as Got7 to make it stand out.” Mark agreed.

“Great idea hyung!” Yugyeom cheered.

BamBam looked on in amusement. Jackson patted him on the back and said, “Great job interny, not only are you a new member but you also managed to name the group.”

“Thanks...hyung.” BamBam truly meant it but he had to laugh at the look of surprise on Jackson’s face at BamBam’s politeness.

“Jackson, Youngjae and BamBam. What do you guys think of Got7?” Jaebeom asked.

“I like it hyung. It works for me.” The cheerful otter replied.

“I like it if you like it JB hyung.” Jackson flirted cutely and laughed his loud laugh. Jaebeom gave him a look and Jackson said, “It truly does work well.”

“I’m good with it. Thank you for allowing me to join.” BamBam agreed.

The guys cheered at finally having a name. “Okay, let’s get practice started. BamBam, the lyric sheets are over at the piano so help yourself. Join in when you feel like it.” JB announced.

Youngjae led the guys in a quick voice warm-up and Yugyeom led them in a quick stretching session.

For the next hour, they practiced hard. BamBam had picked four songs that he wanted to take part in and started to learn the choreography. 

“Let’s take a break…” Jinyoung started to say when the door of the practice room kind of flew open.

“Oops!” A female voice said. They all turned to the door as Jaebeom practically ran to it.

“What the heck?” Mark exclaimed in English. “Trying to break the door down?” He laughed.

“I went all She-Hulk on the door as my hands were full. It was an accident.” The female replied in a good natured tone. Jaebeom took the bags from her. BamBam got a look at her and saw that she was a short, curvy girl with auburn colored wavy hair and green eyes. She was absolutely gorgeous. “I figured that you guys could use some food and drink. Congratulations on getting a gig!” She declared.

The guys rushed over to where she was to get some food. “Thanks noona!” Yugyeom said.

The guys all started to speak at once. “We have a name” “We have a new member.” “Did you get extra napkins?” She took it all in stride.

“Finally! What’s your group name?” She asked.

“Got seven. But it’s going to be stylized with the number instead of the word.” Jinyoung told her.

“And what’s your name?” She directed her question to BamBam as she walked over to him.

“Kunpimook but I prefer BamBam.”

“Nice to meet you BamBam. I’m Mia.” She reached out her hand and he shook it. She had soft hands and a firm grip. She walked back to where the bags were and handed Youngjae some more napkins. “Dig in guys, before it gets cold. You, too newbie.” She invited BamBam.

For the next twenty minutes there wasn’t much talking as the guys were too busy eating but between bites they were filling Mia in on their playlist. 

“Do you have any ideas for us?” Jackson asked.

“Hmmm...I think it would be kind of cool to let BamBam and Mark do a song together.” Mark kind of winced and Mia smiled at him. She was pushing him but in a good way.

“Great idea!” Jaebeom declared. “What do you guys think?”

Everyone agreed to it. “I think we should give it a try.” Mark said the BamBam.

“That would be cool.” BamBam replied.

“I better get going so you guys can get back to practice.” Mia declared after another ten minutes. She stood up and so did all the guys. She made her way around and hugged the guys, who once again thanked her for the food.

“Of course, I’m your biggest fan and now… I got seven.” She laughed. “I just know that when you guys get into these kinds of practices, you lose track of time.” She got to BamBam and pulled him into a hug. “It was great to meet you, BamBam. Welcome and I cannot wait to see you on stage.”

BamBam hugged her back as she was so kind and made him feel comfortable, like a warm blanket on a cold day. “Thank you so much for everything. I will show you a great performance.” She let him go and winked at him.

The last person that she said bye to was Jaebeom. He pulled her into a huge hug and then kissed her. 

“Ewww…” The guys heckled. “Get a room.” They said. The kissing couple laughed.

“I’ll walk you out.” He said to her.

“Bye guys.” Mia turned to them one more time and blew a big kiss. They pretended to fight for it. She laughed all the way out the door.

Mark walked over to BamBam. “That’s Mia O’Shea and she’s Jaebeom’s girlfriend as well as our den mother.” Mark explained.

“How did they meet?” BamBam asked.

“She’s going to school to be a veterinarian and she works as a vet’s assistant right now. JB owns a few cats and so they met when he took them in for their checkup.”

“Her Korean is so good.” BamBam exclaimed.

“Mia’s mom is Korean and her dad is Irish. They met when they were both exchange students in America.” Mark further explained.

“Phenomenal woman, hey?” Jackson asked BamBam.

“She’s pretty great,” He agreed.

“Alright guys, let’s get back at it.” Jaebeom said as he came back in. He had a huge smile on his face.

“As long as you’re done playing kissy face with noona.” Yugyeom teased him.

“Ya, you little brat.” JB joked back. “She left so I had to stop playing that game.”

“Hyung, she’s the absolute best.” Youngjae declared.

JB got a faraway look in his eyes as he agreed. They all laughed as Mia was the only one who could distract Jaebeom from his music. She was a good distraction as she kept him from being too serious. After they got done teasing him, they got back to practicing for another hour. 

At ten they called it a night. BamBam had picked up some of the choreography and he was tired. They decided to meet up on Wednesday and Friday. Mark, Jackson and BamBam made plans to meet the next day after work to figure out what lyrics they wanted to give him.

They all said good night to each other except for Mark, Yugyeom and BamBam. They made their way to Mark’s car so he could bring them home. The car ride home from practice was a lot quieter than the car ride to practice as they were all tired. When they pulled up to BamBam’s apartment building, he hopped out of the car.

“Thanks for everything, hyung. I really appreciate it. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said to Mark. “It was great to meet you big bird.” He said to Yugyeom.

Yugyeom laughed and said, “You, too flamingo.” BamBam returned the laugh. 

“Good night BamBam.” Mark said. BamBam turned and walked inside.

Mark put the car in drive and pulled away from the building.

“I really like that guy, hyung.”

“I’m glad Yugi. I think that he needs some friends.”

“I’m glad that noona suggested the idea of you two performing together and I am excited to see what you come up with.”

Mark sighed. “I guess.”

“Hyung, you are an awesome rapper. I know you don’t like to be the center of attention on purpose but sometimes you just need to grab the bull by the horns and go for it.”

Yugyeom’s enthusiasm made him laugh. “I will try my hardest.”

“I can help with choreography if you feel that you might need it.”

“Thanks, Yug.” They both fell into a comfortable silence until they finally arrived at Yugyeom’s apartment.

Yugyeom unbuckled his seatbelt and started to open the door. Mark stopped him and quickly scribbled on the back of one of his business cards.

“I don’t know the number for this place but I wrote down the name of the dance studio and the instructor that you are going to ask for is named Sungmin. We had some classes together in college.”

“Mark hyung...thank you.”

“Yugyeom, promise me that you will keep your attitude in check a little bit. We all know that you’re very talented at dancing but you still have a few things to learn.”

“I will try my best.” Yugyeom held out his pinky finger, which Mark linked with his. They then touched thumbs to lock it as they laughed and Yugyeom got out the car. “Thanks for the ride, hyung. I’ll see you Wednesday.”

“Will you need a ride?”

“I will let you know.” He shut the car door and walked towards the front entrance of his building. Mark waited until he saw him go inside before he pulled away.

The next day at work was just as busy as Monday. BamBam was more patient with Jackson and seemed to have a better attitude although he couldn’t stop himself from being a smartass at times. Mark liked it and wished that he could be more like that, more able to speak his mind but he was shy and didn’t like attention on him.

They decided to meet at Mark’s apartment to divide up the lyrics at 7. Jackson said that he wanted to get a workout in. BamBam was going to come over around 6 so they could start talking about ideas for their song that they were going perform together. 

Mark’s apartment was the only thing that he allowed himself to indulge in as he didn’t like to use his family’s money to buy things. He saw the apartment and he had to have it. It was a small apartment building with only eight floors. Mark’s apartment was on the top floor and it was the only one with roof access. He had a sunken living with cathedral ceilings, two bedrooms downstairs, one that he had converted to an office and his room was in a loft. He also had a Western style bathroom with a bathtub and a shower. His father had helped him make a little outdoor patio area on his roof with a gazebo so he could sit outside, complete with an electric fire pit so he could even be out there in the colder weather.

BamBam knocked at the door at 6:05. He found the address with no problems but was expecting the apartment building to be more modern than what it was. It appeared that Mark was always surprising him. The door opened and he walked in to one of the most gorgeous apartments he had ever seen. The colors were greens and blues, very natural with wood floors. 

“Wow...this is amazing.” BamBam exclaimed as he walked in.

“Thanks! It’s the one thing that I absolutely had to have. Would you like a tour?” BamBam nodded his head as he took off his shoes and followed Mark.

When they got back to the kitchen, Mark offered his something to drink. 

“Water, please”. BamBam answered.

Mark went to the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water. He handed one to BamBam and then sat down at the table. BamBam joined him and it was then he noticed that there was some pencils and paper.

“Look, I have to be honest. I am not exactly too keen on this idea. I only agreed to it so you could have a moment to shine. I am willing to bow out and let you do this a solo.” Mark had his head down and wasn’t looking him in the eyes.

“No.” BamBam vehemently replied, which made Mark’s head snap up. They looked at each other for a moment before Mark cleared his throat.

“What? Why?” He finally managed to ask.

“Look, hyung, I get it. You are not one who likes attention, although you get plenty of it. I think that you are talented and should show that side of you. You need this.”

BamBam had a defiant look to him as if he dared Mark to challenge him.

Mark sighed. “Fine...I’ll do it.” He put his head down in defeat.

“Why do you have to be like that?”

“What do you mean, BamBam?”

“You don’t want to do it but I tell you to do it and you are going to do it. Jackson calls you all kinds of silly names and makes a scene but you let it go.”

Mark shrugs. “I don’t like to shake things up and so it’s easier to go along with things. Does this mean if I say no again, you’ll let me out of this duet?”

“Hell no...you’re doing it but I just think that you need to learn to stand up for yourself more.”

Mark laughed. “I can’t win with you, can I? You are too much like Yugi with your way of thinking.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Bad for me...good for you as I have a hard time saying no to him.” He laughed again and this time BamBam joined in. “Well, let’s get started.” They spent the next 45 minutes hashing out ideas for a song and they found out that they worked well together. By the time Jackson arrived, they had a solid base for their song.

Jackson knew the code to get in to Mark’s apartment so he let himself in.

“Markie! Bamie!” He declared when he saw them. “I missed you guys.” He laughed his loud Jackson laugh.

“Hey Jacks.”

“Hi hyung.”

Jackson regaled them with tales from the gym for a few moments. He then grabbed a bottle of water and declared that they needed to get down to dividing.

The guys were very accomodating to BamBam so it only took them about an hour to figure out how they wanted the line division to go. They hung out and played video games for about an hour when BamBam decided that he needed to devote some time to learning the songs. Jaebeom had give his a USB drive with all their songs. 

“I’ll give you a ride home.” Jackson offered.

“Thanks, hyung.” He said to Jackson and then turned to Mark, “Work on lyrics after practice tomorrow?”

“Sounds good. Bye guys!” Mark walked them to the door. He shook his head and exhaled.

The next few weeks flew by as they were preparing for their gig and soon enough, it was almost time to perform. Mark and BamBam’s rap turned out better than either of them expected. Everyone liked it and were excited to see them on the stage. Yugyeom had taken it upon himself to teach BamBam the dances. They were all impressed with his dedication. He had even learned a lot of the songs that he wasn’t performing in so they invited him to join in. 

Jaebeom had asked the guys to meet to get the final preparations down to make sure that everything would go smoothly. They were all sprawled out on the floor as they just got done with practicing. JB got up and went over to a box that he had brought in. He opened it and yelled, “Heads up!” to Mark. 

Mark caught a t-shirt that Jaebeom had thrown at him. He held it up and saw that it said Got7 on the front and on the back, it had the venue, the date and time, just like a concert tee. His name was also on the left sleeve. 

“These are great Jaebeom!” Mark exclaimed as JB handed the others their shirts.

“I figured that we could wear them at the start of the show.” He explained.

“This is amazing, hyung!” Youngjae said in awe.

“I really like it, hyung.” Agreed Yugyeom.

“And me...Jaebeomie hyung, you’re so smart.” Jackson teased.

“JInyoung helped me design them so I can’t take all the credit.”

“Thanks, hyung.” BamBam looked at Jinyoung. He meant it so it made Jinyoung raise his eyebrow at him. 

The guys talked about how they would come out wearing their t-shirts and jeans. Jaebeom and Yugyeom had written a song together so they were going to perform it. Yugyeom had decided that it would be fun for the two of them to change into outfits that matched or were similar. JB agreed and BamBam had liked that idea so he convinced Mark to go along with it, too. BamBam told Mark that he would pick out the clothes. That made Mark nervous as he knew BamBam was kind of a fashionista so he didn’t know what he would end up wearing. BamBam was confident to pull off high fashion but Mark was not. 

Show time:

“Deep breathes...Mark breath.”

“Hyung, are you okay?”

“Youngjae’s question broke Mark out of his reverie.”

“Yes, Jae, I’m good. Just a little nervous.”

“You’ll be great, you always are.” Youngjae smiled at him.

“Thanks! I’ll get it together.” Mark laughed.

They were upstairs at a cafe getting ready for their show. The gig was to celebrate the grand opening of the cafe. The owner wanted something fun and memorable to celebrate. He knew Jinyoung so he had asked him if they could come and perform. The owner was charging a cover so half was going to the guys and the other half was going to a charity that helped fund fair trade organizations, like the one he worked with for fair trade coffee.

Mark was just worried that he would bring BamBam down with his nerves. He didn’t want to mess it up for him. BamBam wouldn’t let him get near the outfits he had picked out for them and that made him cringe a bit. The rest of the guys were talking and laughing and teasing each other. Mark was glad that the guys had so readily accepted BamBam. It seemed like he had been with them all along. Mark wasn’t in the mood to pretend to be not nervous so he walked away from the group.  
“Hyung, don’t worry so much.” Jinyoung had broken away from the group to talk to him.

“I wish it was that simple Jinyoungie.” Mark replied.

“You always worry that you will make a mistake that will interfere with one of us. You need to relax because when you get onstage, you are flawless.”

Mark looked at Jinyoung and laughed, “You are too kind.”

“What do I always tell you when you get nervous?” he asked.

“That I should…” he was interrupted by BamBam.

“Hyung, come here please...I need you.”

Mark looked at Jinyoung for a moment and walked over to BamBam but on his way he patted his back in thanks.

Jinyoung stood there for a moment then made his way back to the group where he was greeted by BamBam whispering in Mark’s ear and making him laugh. It made Jinyoung question if there was something going on between the two of them and it wasn’t the first time. BamBam often got clingy to Mark at times. BamBam looked at Jinyoung and smiled, it was if he read his mind. Jinyoung smiled back and joined with the others.

There was a knock at the door and Youngjae went to open it.

“Noona!” He cried and in walked Mia. For the past few weeks, she had been a huge support for all the guys. She had taken it upon herself to make sure that they were eating, drinking enough water and resting. She wrapped Youngjae in a huge hug. After she let him go, she made her way around the room for hugs. As always, her last hug was Jaebeom, followed by a kiss.

JB kept his arm around her shoulder as she spoke. “I just wanted to come and tell you to break a leg. I am so excited for the show and so happy for you. You have a decent audience so it should make it more fun for you.”

They all thanked her for her kind words. Yugyeom then noticed her shirt. The wording on the shirt said Got7? “Noona...nice shirt.” She turned around and on the back it said, “I Got7!”

“I couldn’t help myself. But I should leave so you can finish prepping. I also left a few friends out there...of the female variety...just in case a few people were serious about wanting to meet my friends.” She looked directly at Jackson and Youngjae. They both blushed. “None of that now. I’ll introduce you to them after the show.” She kissed JB one more time and let herself out.

“She finally did it.” Jackson said.

“Did you think that she wouldn’t?” Jaebeom asked. “You would think you would know better than that when it comes to her.”

Youngjae had a huge smile on his face and looked giddy. “Why are you smiling so big, Jae?” Mark asked.

“Because I am good at singing so I am sure to impress at least one of them. That makes talking a little bit easier.” They laughed at his bravado but agreed with him.

The door opened and it was the cafe owner. “You guys ready?” They all nodded. “I’ll introduce you and then the music will start and it’s in your hands.” He left himself out.

“Okay guys, on me.” They gathered around JB. “Let’s have a good show. Have fun and enjoy yourself. Got7 on three.” He put his hand in the middle and they all place theirs on top of his.

“One...two...Got7” They yelled. Nerves were now gone and the guys were ready to hit the stage as they made their way downstairs. 

“I just wanted to thank you all for coming out tonight to celebrate the grand opening of ‘Bean Good’. Please give a big round of applause for JB, Mark, Jackson, Jinyoung, Youngjae, BamBam and Yugyeom...also known as Got7.” He ushered them on stage, handed JB the mic and walked off.

“How’s everyone tonight? Ready to have some fun?” Jaebeom asked to hype up the crowd. The crowd yelled back, “Hell yeah!” 

“Alright...let’s get this party started!” The opening notes to one of their newest songs started to play and they were off. ‘Lullaby’ went off without a hitch followed by ‘Hard Carry’ and ‘Never Ever’. In between some of the songs, the guys managed to entertain the crowd. 

As Jackson and Jinyoung spoke to the crowd, Jaebeom, Yugyeom, Mark, and BamBam snuck upstairs to change. JB and Yugyeom were first followed by Mark and BamBam. Then the guys would end their show with a song called ‘Just Right’.

Yugyeom and Jaebeom ended up in black dress pants, striped suit coats and t-shirts underneath. They both looked amazing. Mark and BamBam wished them luck as they went back downstairs. They could hear the audience cheer and wolf whistle at the change in clothes.

Mark found a clothes bag being shoved into his arms. “Dress quickly.”

Mark went to the other end of the room to change. He unzipped the bag and was greeted by a sheer black long sleeve shirt and leather pants.

“Uh...Bam...I can’t wear this.”

“You can and you will. Put it on.” BamBam walked over to where he was already dressed with a pair of black boots. “These are for you, too. C'mon hyung, live a little. You always say that you want to try new things and become braver.”

“I don’t know. I should have made you show me what you bought so I could have made you return it.”

BamBam got in Mark’s face so he had to look at him. “Please hyung, for me? You’ll look great and it will go well with the song.”

Mark, as usual had a hard time saying no. He exhaled in frustration but started taking off his shirt. BamBam stepped away to give him privacy. Mark finally pulled on his boots and then ran his fingers through his hair to give himself a messier look. He cleared his throat. “Well?” he asked.

Bam Bam walked up to him with his mouth open and his eyes wide. “Hyung...you look amazing! This style suits you.” 

Mark blushed but enjoyed the compliment. “I guess we should make our way downstairs.” They both started towards the door but BamBam stopped. 

“I have one more thing.” He pulled Mark to face him so that made him face the door and he leaned in. Mark leaned back a little. BamBam opened his hand to show that he had a black choker.

“Bam...that might be going a little too far.”

“Nope, you need to do this...just once in your life. You are too buttoned up.” They looked at each other and Mark agreed so he stepped closer to put it around Mark’s neck. As he was leaning in, he whispered in Mark’s ear. “Everyone has something that sets them free. What sets you free, hyung?” BamBam’s breath tickled Mark’s ear and neck and gave him goosebumps. Just before BamBam stepped back, the door opened and in walked Jinyoung. BamBam looked at him and smiled before he finally stepped back.

“Uh, guys...I was just seeing if you were ready or needed us to stall a bit.” he quietly said, looking at the ground. Mark kind of jumped as he wasn’t expecting anyone.

BamBam spoke for both of them. “No, we’re good. We’re coming down.” BamBam reached out his fist for a fist bump, which Mark gave him and the three of them made their way downstairs just as Jaebeom and Yugyeom finished their song. They saw Mark and BamBam so they introduced them. Mark took a deep breath and stepped out to the stage. He could hear the cheers and wolf whistles. It gave him confidence but he could see the guys whispering to each other and looking at him. Jackson and Youngjae both gave him a thumbs up, Yugyeom gave him a huge smile and JB raised his eyebrow at him but nodded his head. Their performance was flawless and the crowd went wild. Jaebeom took the mic and announced that they would sing their last song. He thanked the audience for coming, supporting Bean Good, Got7 and being amazing. After ‘Just Right’ the audience chanted “Encore, encore” so they performed the song ‘Thank You’. They lined up, held hands and bowed then they left the stage.

“Oh my god! That was amazing!”

“I cannot believe it!” 

“We crushed it!” They all started speaking at once out of excitement. The owner of ‘Bean Good’ followed them up and thanked them for an amazing show. He handed JB their pay for the night. He ended up making more than he thought so they got a little bonus. They all bowed to him and he left.

“Mark! You were great. I love the outfit.” Yugyeom declared and Youngjae agreed.

“Damn, hyung...you’re hot.” Jackson teased him.

“Yeah, who would have thought that all those muscles were hidden on that skinny body.” Jaebeom agreed.

“Told you hyung.” BamBam said as he gave high fives to the others.

The door flew open again as Mia rushed in giving hugs and gushing over how fabulous they all were. “Mark, oppa...phenomenal! Great job Bammers!” She grabbed Jackson and Youngjae. “Guys, I have a woman who desperately wants to meet the muscular, hot and sexy rapper and another one that wants to meet the handsome man with the amazing pipes.” Before they could answer, she dragged them of out the door with her.

Yugyeom and Jaebeom decided to change back into their jeans and t-shirts. BamBam was going to change as well but Mark asked if he could talk to him. BamBam followed him to the otherside of the room.

“Yes, hyung?”

“You were right Bam. I apologize for doubting you and doubting myself for that matter. Thank you for tonight.”

BamBam smiled so big that Mark could see almost all of his teeth. “You’re welcome hyung and thank you for doing this with me. You always worry about doing the right thing that sometimes I feel that you miss out on the fun things.”

“I agree.” BamBam started to walk away but was stopped by Mark asking him, “Have you been flirting with me?” BamBam turned back towards him.

“What?”

“I usually cannot tell when someone is flirting with me but you make it obvious even to me.”

BamBam surprised Mark by laughing. “Yes, hyung, I was and I have my reasons for it but not to worry, I kind of am dating the big bird.”

Mark looked at him incredulously. “Kind of? You’ll have to tell me those reasons someday but I trust you.”

BamBam blushed, “Okay, not kind of...we are dating.” He regained his composure and winked at Mark. “I promise to tell you.” He patted Mark on the shoulder and walked away.

“Congrats Bam...Yugi is great.”

BamBam said in a soft voice, “I know.”

Mark was glad that he had confronted BamBam and was curious about his reasons but knew better than to keep asking. He picked up his clothes and was going to change back into his jeans and t-shirt but was stopped by Jinyoung. “Hyung? Can we talk?” Mark turned to look at Jinyoung, who had his hands shoved in his pockets and his head down.

“Of course. Are you okay?” 

Jinyoung nodded and walked in to the little office that was there so Mark followed and closed the door behind him as he sensed it was serious enough for that.

“I just wanted to tell you what an amazing job you did and how great you look in those clothes BamBam did a great job with that. I knew you could do it.” Jinyoung rambled.

“Thanks, Jinyoung.” Mark decided to not say anything else as Jinyoung would say what was really on his mind without being pressured.

Jinyoung cleared his throat again and slowly looked up at Mark. Mark was surprised to see that Jinyoung’s cheeks were flushed. “Hyung, are you and BamBam a thing?”

He said it so silently that Mark barely heard him. “Excuse me?” he asked.

Jinyoung took a deep breath. “I asked if you and BamBam were a thing. You guys seem pretty close these days and he’s always wanting to be near you.”

“No, we’re not a thing.” Jinyoung looked relieved. “But him and Yugyeom are.”

Jinyoung’s eyes widened in surprise. “BamBam and Yugyeom?” Mark nodded. “When did that happen? Where have we…” His thought was cut off by Mark’s mouth on his. Mark stepped back after he ended the kiss.

“I have been wanting to do that for a long, long time but I have never wanted to ruin things between us. BamBam had asked me tonight was sets me free and I realized that it’s you. You set me free. You have always let me be me, you have never told me how to act or what to think. I am my best self, my free self when I’m with you. I am sorry if I surprised you or if I…” Mark was interrupted this time by Jinyoung kissing him.

“Hyung...you are not the only one wanting that.”

“Jinyoung...are you sure?”

“Don’t overthink it. It feels right and it’s about time it happened.” Jinyoung started to ramble.

“Jinyoung...shut up so I can kiss you.” They fell into each other’s embrace. The door to the office opened.

“Uhhh...oppa, I think that we need to find another place to play kissy face...sorry guys.” Jaebeom and Mia were looking at Jinyoung and Mark with big smiles.

“Yes!! It’s taken so long. I never thought it was going to happen.” Jaebeom said. 

“First we find Yugi and Bammers and now you, too. It is about time but we’ll go now.” Jaebeom gave them both a thumbs up as Mia dragged him out of the office and closed the door.

“I never thought they would leave. Where were we?”

“I do believe you wanted me to shut up so you could kiss me.”

“Ahh yes” Mark and Jinyoung embraced once again.

Later that evening during the after party, BamBam managed to get a few moments with Mark and he told him that he was good at reading people and he had seen the way that Jinyoung and Mark looked at each other when the other wasn’t looking. BamBam wanted Mark to finally go after something and not be so complacent as he really respected him. He knew that Jinyoung was not an easy target so he focused on Mark. He had seen how jealous Jinyoung had gotten when a waitress had flirted with Mark so he knew just what to do. He had confided his plans to Yugyeom, Jaebeom and Mia. 

Mark shared this information with Jinyoung and much to his surprise, Jinyoung marched over to BamBam and pulled him into a hug. BamBam apologized to both of them for being kind of deceitful and shady. They decided to talk it over later and just to enjoy the moment as BamBam in the end, did have their best interests at heart. BamBam left them and went back to Yugyeom’s side. Yugyeom put his arm around him and he snuggled into his side.

Mark and Jinyoung were charmed by how cute they were together. “They sure make each other soft, don’t they?” Mark asked.

“Yes, they do. But so you know what’s not soft?”

Mark looked at him questioningly. Jinyoung reached out and touched Mark’s abs. “These. I never knew you had them.”

“Ha ha...you’re so funny” he replied as he grabbed for Jinyoung and pulled him close.

Jinyoung hugged him back and whispered in his ear, “I for one am glad that you decided to set them free.” He laughed and Mark kissed him, if only just to get him to shut up.


End file.
